STRATA MANAGEMENT
A question that is often asked is who is responsible for plumbing issues in a strata scheme?
Whether the water damage has occurred because of a burst pipe or a leaking pipe, or storm or rain water damage, it can cause considerable damage to buildings and stress to residents.
Who is responsible for the repair and the damage depends on the nature of the problems, below are some common examples and likely outcomes
Burst pipe under private property floor
This will usually be the responsibility of the owners corporation, unless the issue has been caused by a private lot owner
Water leaks into your lot from a neighbouring lot: This depends on the source of water that’s running off. If the source of the leak is common property, it is the owners’ corporation responsibility. If it is as a result of an overwatered neighbouring lot, it is the lot owner’s responsibility.
Damp and mould
The lot owner is responsible for any water penetration issues on the internal walls while the owners’ corporation takes charge if the same issues occur on external walls. Dampness and mould are sometimes not related to a plumbing issue but instead the construction of the complex in these cases a qualified builder may need to be engaged to assess the exact cause.
Leaking shower
If the cause of the leak is from an internal fitting, then the owner will be responsible unless the cause of the leak can be traced to a plumbing issue caused by common property infrastructure.
A blocked shower drainage
As this is under the floor, the owners’ corporation is responsible
Leak from one property into another
This depends on how the leak has spread to your property. If the leak has been caused by a private lot owner’s internal fixture, the responsibility will fall with that private lot owner. However, if the leak is caused by the plumbing that is
installed between the walls that services more than one property, this will be the owners corporation responsibility. Related to a plumbing issue but instead the construction of the complex. A qualified builder will need to be engaged to assess the exact cause.
A broken showerhead
The responsibility for such falls on the lot owner because the showerhead is an internal fixture.
Fortunately Hydro-Jett Plumbing has many years of experience in dealing with strata scheme properties for plumbing repairs and preventative maintenance. We offer free on-site consultations, investigations and quotes, as well as 24/7 emergency call out services. In some cases we can complete emergency make-good repairs to temporarily solve larger problems and this cost can be credited against the final cost of the permanent repair.